Principle One:
Attitude
Dialogue is more than just communication skills. It is about treating all with respect, openness and curiosity. Approaching conversations with an attitude of openness makes building relationships easier, allows one to gain better insight into other’s thoughts and change one’s own behavior. Even during difficult conversations all meet as equals, with respect and empathy being shown (Borhan, 2023).
Understanding one’s own personal and social identity will help approach conversations with a good attitude. The below activity is designed to assess these identities as a way to understand and reflect on what they value, which in turn determines their attitude about the world around them.
Explain to the client, it is important to keep an open mind, be vulnerable and genuine. Attitude is an investment in the process.
Activity:
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Make a list of the most important elements that define who you are. These can be personal identities (things that are unique to you and contribute to your sense of self) such as hobbies/interests, career choice, your relationship status, political beliefs, musical tastes, personality traits and social identities (things that you use to identify yourself within a social group often based on shared characteristics)such as race, ethnicity, gender, sex, age, religion/religious beliefs, socioeconomic status, ability/disability.
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Add a < next to an item that you consider to be a key aspect of your personality. Add a > next to items that other may use to describe you. Add <> if both fit.
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What three items best describe you and why?
Discussion:
What patterns did you see in what you marked as key aspect of your identity?
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How do these key aspects inform your attitude as you approach daily conversations, both one-on-one and within a group?
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What feelings and emotions are tied to these key aspects?
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Are their certain aspects of your identity that only show when you are around people who are different than you?
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Do you feel pressure to express one aspect of your identity over another in certain situations?
(Sharing Perspective Foundation, 2020)